Deadly Little Secrets: The Minister, His Mistress, and a Heartless Texas Murder

To his parishioners, minister Matt Baker seemed a pious and good man. To his wife, Kari, he was a devoted husband and caring father. Always sunny and vivacious, Kari never questioned their frequent relocations from one small Texas Baptist church to another. Even when tragedy struck, Kari remained strong - until one day, inexplicably, she took her own life.

Shattered: The True Story of a Mother's Love, a Husband's Betrayal, and a Cold-Blooded Texas Murder

In Creekstone, Texas, a small, quiet suburb of Houston, football was king and David Temple was a prince. A former high school and college gridiron-star-turned-coach, he had a fairy-tale marriage to bright, vivacious Belinda Lucas, a teacher at the local high school who was so warm and popular her colleagues called her "The Sunshine Girl". The fairy tale ended savagely on January 11, 1999, when Belinda's lifeless body was discovered in a closet. Her skull had been shattered by a shotgun blast at close range. She was eight months pregnant.

Evil Beside Her: The True Story of a Texas Woman's Marriage to a Dangerous Psychopath

At first, Linda Bergstrom's marriage to her husband James was idyllic. They were young and in love; he was about to enter the Navy and she was eager to start a family. But it wasn't long before the dream exploded. James became abusive and violent, prone to sudden bursts of anger, long silences, and unexplained disappearances. But Linda vowed to hold on, despite the pain and fear...and her disturbing suspicions about her husband's secret life.

Cold Kill: The True Story of a Murderous Love

David loved Cindy and was loved in return. Or so he thought. The troubled young man clung to his new love and dreamed of their future together. So begins the chain of events that was to evolve into a horror of terrifying proportions. Jack Olsen, best-selling author of Son, now reveals the details of a true-life romance gone hideously awry.

Don't Tell a Soul

Cherry Walker was a devoted, trusting, uncommonly innocent young woman who loved caring for a neighbor's little boy. But when she was asked to testify in court against his abusive mother, Cherry never got the chance. She couldn't lie if her life depended on it - and it did. Cherry's body was found on the side of a Texas road, after being doused with lighter fluid and set aflame. Attractive, manipulative, and violent, mother of four Kim Cargill had a wealth of dirty secrets she'd do anything to keep hidden.

Die, My Love: A True Story of Revenge, Murder, and Two Texas Sisters

The day before Halloween 2004 was the last day on Earth for respected, well-liked college professor Fred Jablin. That morning, a neighbor discovered his body lying in a pool of blood in the driveway of Jablin's Virginia home. Police immediately turned their attentions to the victim's ex-wife, Piper, a petite, pretty Texas lawyer who had lost a bitter custody battle and would do anything to get her kids back. But Piper was in Houston, 1,000 miles away, at the time of the slaying and couldn't possibly have been the killer...could she?

A Warrant to Kill: A True Story of Obsession, Lies, and a Killer Cop

Problems had always followed Susan White, but when she remarried and moved to Houston's posh suburbs, she thought the past was behind her - until she met a deputy sheriff named Kent McGowen who would soon become her worst nightmare. McGowen was an aggressive cop with a spotty record. When Susan rebuffed his advances, she claimed he stalked and harassed her, using her troubled teenage son as bait. And then, in an act of arrogance and revenge, he made good on his threats, setting her up for the kill.

The I-5 Killer

As a young man, Randall Woodfield had it all; he was a star athlete with good looks and an award-winning student. Working in the swinging West Coast bar scene, he had more than his share of women. But he wanted more than just sex. An appetite for unspeakable violent acts led him to cruise the I-5 highway through California to Washington, leaving a trail of victims along the way. As the list of the dead grew, the police mobilized to stop a twisted killer who had 44 known deaths to his name.

A Clockwork Murder: The Night a Twisted Fantasy Became a Demented Reality

In April 1997, pretty, 22-year-old Jacine Gielinski stopped her car at a red light in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She had no idea that the two young men looking at her from the car next to hers would in that moment decide she would be their target for unspeakable horrors.

Perfect Husband: The True Story of the Trusting Bride Who Discovered Her Husband Was a Coldblooded Killer

As seen on A Current Affair - the shocking story of Florida's most bizarre multiple murder case. As Lisa and Kosta Fotopoulos lay sleeping in their home, a burglar broke in and shot Lisa at point-blank range in the head. Miraculously, she survived to learn the sobering truth about her would-be assassin - and about her sociopathic husband's deadly agenda.

Lust Killer

When young women begin mysteriously disappearing in Oregon, Police Lieutenant James Stovall leads a relentless search for a killer. With little evidence available, and the public screaming for answers, he must find a remorseless, brutal killer whose identity will shock them all....

Possessed: The Infamous Texas Stiletto Murder

The officer responding to a 911 call at one of Houston's hippest high-rises expected the worst. After all, domestic violence situations can be unpredictable. But nothing could've prepared him for what he found: a beautiful woman drenched in blood, an older man lying dead on the floor, and a cobalt blue suede stiletto with tufts of white hair stuck to its five-and-a-half-inch heel.

Murder of Innocence: The Tragic Life and Final Rampage of Laurie Dann

Early on a May morning in 1988, Laurie Dann, a 30-year-old, profoundly unhappy product of the wealthy North Shore suburb of Chicago, loaded her father's car with a cache of handguns, incendiary chemicals, and arsenic-laced food. Driven by fear and hate, she was going to make something terrible happen. Before the end of the day, Dann had blazed a murderous trail of poison, fire, and bullets through the unsuspecting town of Winnetka, Illinois, and other North Shore suburbs.

Murder in Room 305

A shocking true crime story of sex, greed and cold-blooded murder! Veteran true crime author Gary C. King spins a gripping real-life tale of a woman caught in a deadly web of lust and violence...a riveting story of love gone horribly, tragically wrong. Kathryn Ann Martini graduated from Yale with a bright future in the banking business. Young, beautiful, and ambitious, she had everything going for her. Until she met Michael David Lissy, the sleazy proprietor of a scuba diving school.

Without Mercy: Obsession and Murder Under the Influence

On any Sunday morning in the Florida Redlands, Dee Casteel might have served you pancakes at the IHOP. She was a hard-working, cheerful waitress, one of the nicest people you'd ever want to know. She was also a three-bottle-a-day alcoholic, hopelessly in love with the IHOP's manager, Allen Bryant. Bryant wanted his live-in lover, IHOP owner Art Venecia, dead. And Dee Casteel helped him to arrange it.

Killing for You: A Brave Soldier, a Beautiful Dancer, and a Shocking Double Murder

Twenty-six-year-old actor Daniel Wozniak was unemployed, facing eviction, and deep in debt for his upcoming wedding. So he devised a diabolical plan: He asked his neighbor Sam Herr, a young war veteran, to help him move some things into the attic of an empty theater. There, Wozniak shot Herr twice in the head before taking his ATM card and cell phone.

Bitch on Wheels: The Sharon Nelson Double Murder Case

When the body of 45-year-old Glen Harrelson was found in his Denver home, police tried to contact his wife, but soon they made a startling realization. She had played the part of grieving widow once before: Her previous husband also had died a mysterious accidental death...

The Stranger She Loved: A Mormon Doctor, His Beautiful Wife, and an Almost Perfect Murder

In 2007, Dr. Martin MacNeill - a doctor, lawyer, and Mormon bishop - discovered his wife of 30 years dead in the bathtub of their Pleasant Grove, Utah, home, her face bearing the scars of a facelift he had persuaded her to undergo just a week prior. At first the death of 50-year-old Michele MacNeill, a former beauty queen and mother of eight, appeared natural. But days after the funeral, when Dr. MacNeill moved his much younger mistress into the family home, his children grew suspicious.

Above Suspicion

A personal look at a crime of passion describes an FBI agent's successful career, family life, and extramarital affair that ended in murder, and the guilt that drove him to confess in spite of his impenetrable government shield. In a true story of crime, guilt, and conscience, a model agent's illicit involvement with an informant leads him to commit a crime that reveals all the workings of the human heart - and the dark side of the FBI.

Bitter Remains: A Custody Battle, a Gruesome Crime, and the Mother Who Paid the Ultimate Price

On July 13, 2011, Laura Jean Ackerson of Kinston, North Carolina, went to pick up her two toddler sons. It would be the last time she was seen alive. Laura's ex, Grant Hayes - the father of her two sons - and his wife, Amanda, the mother of his newborn daughter, both pointed the finger at each other as the one guilty of murdering Laura, cutting up her body, and then transporting and disposing of the remains on the shores of Oyster Creek, Texas.

The Crime of the Century: Richard Speck and the Murders That Shocked a Nation

On July 14th, 1966, Richard Franklin Speck swept through a quiet Chicago townhouse like a summer tornado and stabbed, strangled, and killed eight young nurses in a violent sexual rampage. By morning, only one nurse, Corazon Amurao, had miraculously survived, and her scream of terror was heard around the world. As the eight bodies were carried out of the small building, the coroner, who had seen the carnage up close, told a gathering crowd: "It is the crime of the century!"

Darker Than Night: The True Story of a Brutal Double Homicide and an 18-Year Long Quest for Justice

In 1985, two 27-year-old friends left their suburban Detroit homes for a hunting trip in rural Michigan. When they did not return, their families and police suspected foul play. For 18 years, no one could prove a thing. Then, a relentless investigator got a witness to talk, and a horrifying story emerged. In 2003, this bizarre case hit the glare of the criminal justice system, as prosecutors charged two brothers, Raymond and Donald Duvall, with murder.

Deliver Us: Three Decades of Murder and Redemption in the Infamous I-45/Texas Killing Fields

Over a three-decade span, more than 20 women - many teenagers - died mysteriously in the small towns bordering Interstate 45, a 50-mile stretch of highway running from Houston to Galveston. The victims were strangled, shot, or savagely beaten.

Bitter Blood: A True Story of Southern Family Pride, Madness, and Multiple Murder

In this unrelenting real-life drama of three wealthy families connected by marriage and murder, Bledsoe recounts the shocking events, obsessive love, and bitter custody battles that led toward the bloody climax that took nine lives.

Publisher's Summary

Bright, attractive, and both from good families, University of Texas college student Colton Pitonyak and vibrant redhead Jennifer Cave had the world at their beckoning. Cave, an ex-cheerleader, had just landed an exciting new job, while a big-money scholarship to UT's prestigious business school lured Pitonyak to Austin. Yet the former altar boy had a dark, unpredictable streak, one that ensnared him in the perilous underworld of drugs and guns. When Jennifer failed to show up for work on August 18, 2005, her mother became frightened. Sharon Cave's search led to Colton's West Campus apartment, where Jennifer's family discovered a scene worthy of the grisliest horror movie. Meanwhile, Colton Pitonyak was nowhere to be found.

A Descent into Hell is the gripping, true story of one of the most brutal slayings in UT history - and the wild "Bonnie and Clyde-like" flight from justice of a cold-blooded young killer and his would-be girlfriend, who claimed that her unquestioning allegiance to Pitonyak was "just the way I roll".

I don't think I'll listen to any other Casey titles. The main story feels stretched out, repeating information several times. I didn't like the other stories with it. The title makes it seem like one story, but the added stories seem like they're thrown in as filler. Couldn't hold my attention. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.

Where does A Descent into Hell rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is one of my favourite audio books so far. Kathryn Casey did thorough research and bought the people involved in the awful events of the book to life. You get to know the family of Jennifer Cave as well as Jennifer herself and the events leading up to the crime.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Descent into Hell?

The way that Jennifer's mother knew something was wrong and how they found her was engrossing because it was true and so shocking. My favourite part of the book was what Jennifer's mother said to Laura Hall in court - finally someone telling her the truth.

What about Gillian Vance’s performance did you like?

The performance was spot-on and kept me involved in the story. Gillian Vance reads with a great rhythm that kept me engaged.

Any additional comments?

I admired Jennifer's mother and family so much after hearing their story and hope they've been able to find some peace. I can't imagine going through what they have and still behaving with such dignity, integrity and love.

not if there were other books to listen to. it was good as far as it goes. i myself do not fall in love with this type of book!

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

the story itself was compelling but depressing. how some very privileged kids were able to just go their wild ways and sink into some evil depths, without those in authority being more aware, and intervening. i blame the parents of the main perp, colton, for not being more in control of this kid. the girl involved was more of the victim. i guess her mother and sister did see some of what was happening, and did try to intervene. but that could go only so far, because the victim was living away at college. what happened to the victim was any mother's perfect nightmare.

Which scene was your favorite?

NO favorite scenes in this horrible story~

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

This book is very well written and researched with unexpected twists and characters. easy to listen to and details of the players and events moves this story move quickly. Small warning; the details of the gruesome crime are covered very thoroughly which I appreciated but some listeners might not enjoy.

Where does A Descent into Hell rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top of true crime books. It is obvious that Ms. Casey got interviews with many of the people that she needed to in order to tell the story in a well-balanced way. I found that I really got to know the people involved in the tragic story - Jennifer, Colton, members of Jen's family... I found Laura to be a bit of an enigma, but possibly because her family did not wish to provide more information. The shocking nature of this crime, coupled with the tragedy of Jen wanting to get her life back together, was just so senseless.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It made me angry. How could this have happened? How could drugs have given three young people who had everything going for them into a murderer, a mutilator, and a victim treated in such a horrific way?

Any additional comments?

This is the second Kathryn Casey book I have read (the first being "Evil Beside Her." It is obvious that Ms. Casey's professionalism is on full display here, that she has grown as a journalist and as a writer. I am glad to see most if not all of her catalog on AUdible.

Kathryn Casey does an excellent job telling the story of the murder/dismemberment of Jennifer Cave by Colton Polyak and Laura Hall. Casey is one of the most talented writers of true crime in the business. I like her as well as Jack Olsen. This story is very interesting. Colton had every opportunity and ability to really be successful in life - but he threw it all away because of drugs. Jennifer was his friend and she also had trouble with drugs, but was trying to turn her life around. She wound up dead and dismembered in Colton's apartment. Laura was in her apartment at some time during the time Jennifer was dismembered and she helped Colton escape from the country. They were captured, pointed their fingers at each other and a trial ensued. The writer gives us a clear picture of the victim/perpetrators and their families. The character I disliked the most is Laura Hall. she is despicable. Well performed by Gillian Vance.